diff --git a/ext/readline/extconf.rb b/ext/readline/extconf.rb
index 7bba386540..deef48a35e 100644
--- a/ext/readline/extconf.rb
+++ b/ext/readline/extconf.rb
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ def readline.have_type(type)
 readline.have_func("rl_redisplay")
 readline.have_func("rl_insert_text")
 readline.have_func("rl_delete_text")
+readline.have_func("rl_callback_handler_install")
 unless readline.have_type("rl_hook_func_t*")
   # rl_hook_func_t is available since readline-4.2 (2001).
   # Function is removed at readline-6.3 (2014).
diff --git a/ext/readline/readline.c b/ext/readline/readline.c
index 253798f9e6..00eaf5700c 100644
--- a/ext/readline/readline.c
+++ b/ext/readline/readline.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "ruby/config.h"
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #ifdef HAVE_READLINE_READLINE_H
 #include <readline/readline.h>
@@ -1883,6 +1884,136 @@ username_completion_proc_call(VALUE self, VALUE str)
     return result;
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_RL_CALLBACK_HANDLER_INSTALL
+#define READ_CHAR_CB "read_char_cb_block"
+static ID read_char_cb_block;
+static bool readline_callback_add_history;
+static char * readline_callback_line;
+static VALUE readline_callback_ensure(VALUE val) {
+    free(readline_callback_line);
+    readline_callback_line = NULL;
+    return Qnil;
+}
+static VALUE readline_callback_call(VALUE line) {
+    VALUE proc = rb_attr_get(mReadline, read_char_cb_block);
+    rb_funcall(proc, id_call, 1, line);
+    return Qnil;
+}
+static void readline_callback_callback(char * line) {
+    if (readline_callback_add_history && line) {
+	add_history(line);
+    }
+    readline_callback_line = line;
+    rb_ensure(
+	readline_callback_call, line ? rb_tainted_str_new2(line) : Qnil,
+	readline_callback_ensure, Qnil
+    );
+}
+/*
+ * call-seq:
+ *   Readline.readline(prompt = "", add_hist = false) &block -> nil
+
+ * Set up the terminal for readline I/O and display the initial expanded
+ * value of prompt. Save the provided block to use as a function to call when
+ * a complete line of input has been entered. The block should take the text
+ * of the line as an argument.
+ *
+ * = Example
+ *
+ *   PROMPT = "rltest$ "
+ *
+ *   $running = true
+ *   $sigwinch_received = false
+ *
+ *   Readline.handler_install(PROMPT, add_hist: true) do |line|
+ *     # Can use ^D (stty eof) or `exit' to exit.
+ *     if !line || line == "exit"
+ *       puts unless line
+ *       puts "exit"
+ *       Readline.handler_remove
+ *       $running = false
+ *     else
+ *       puts "input line: #{line}"
+ *     end
+ *   end
+ *
+ *   Signal.trap('SIGWINCH') { $sigwinch_received = true }
+ *
+ *   while $running do
+ *     rs = IO.select([$stdin])
+ *     if $sigwinch_received
+ *       Readline.resize_terminal
+ *       $sigwinch_received = false
+ *     end
+ *     Readline.read_char if r = rs[0]
+ *   end
+ *
+ *   puts "rltest: Event loop has exited"
+ */
+static VALUE readline_callback_handler_install(
+    int argc,
+    VALUE * argv,
+    VALUE self
+) {
+    VALUE tmp, add_hist, block;
+    char * prompt = NULL;
+
+    rb_need_block();
+
+    if (rb_scan_args(argc, argv, "02&", &tmp, &add_hist, &block) > 0) {
+	prompt = RSTRING_PTR(tmp);
+    }
+
+    if (RTEST(add_hist)) {
+	readline_callback_add_history = true;
+    } else {
+	readline_callback_add_history = false;
+    }
+
+    rb_ivar_set(mReadline, read_char_cb_block, block);
+
+    rl_callback_handler_install(prompt, readline_callback_callback);
+
+    return Qnil;
+}
+/*
+ * call-seq:
+ *   Readline.read_char -> nil
+ *
+ * Whenever an application determines that keyboard input is available, it
+ * should call read_char, which will read the next character from the current
+ * input source. If that character completes the line, read_char will invoke
+ * the handler function saved by handler_install to process the line.
+ * Before calling the handler function, the terminal settings are reset to
+ * the values they had before calling handler_install. If the handler function
+ * returns, the terminal settings are modified for Readline's use again. EOF
+ * is indicated by calling handler with a nil. 
+ */
+static VALUE readline_callback_read_char(VALUE self) {
+    VALUE proc = rb_attr_get(mReadline, read_char_cb_block);
+    if (NIL_P(proc)) {
+	rb_raise(rb_eRuntimeError, "No handler installed.");
+    }
+    rl_callback_read_char();
+    return Qnil;
+}
+/*
+ * call-seq:
+ *   Readline.handler_remove -> nil
+ *
+ * Restore the terminal to its initial state and remove the line handler.
+ * This may be called from within a callback as well as independently. If
+ * the handler installed by handler_install does not exit the program, this
+ * function should be called before the program exits to reset the terminal
+ * settings.
+ */
+static VALUE readline_callback_handler_remove(VALUE self) {
+    rb_ivar_set(mReadline, read_char_cb_block, Qnil);
+    rl_callback_handler_remove();
+    return Qnil;
+}
+#endif
+
 #undef rb_intern
 void
 Init_readline(void)
@@ -1906,6 +2037,9 @@ Init_readline(void)
     id_call = rb_intern("call");
     completion_proc = rb_intern(COMPLETION_PROC);
     completion_case_fold = rb_intern(COMPLETION_CASE_FOLD);
+#ifdef HAVE_RL_CALLBACK_HANDLER_INSTALL
+    read_char_cb_block = rb_intern(READ_CHAR_CB);
+#endif
 #if defined(HAVE_RL_PRE_INPUT_HOOK)
     id_pre_input_hook = rb_intern("pre_input_hook");
 #endif
@@ -1993,6 +2127,26 @@ Init_readline(void)
                                readline_s_set_special_prefixes, 1);
     rb_define_singleton_method(mReadline, "special_prefixes",
                                readline_s_get_special_prefixes, 0);
+#ifdef HAVE_RL_CALLBACK_HANDLER_INSTALL
+    rb_define_singleton_method(
+	mReadline,
+	"handler_install",
+	readline_callback_handler_install,
+	-1
+    );
+    rb_define_singleton_method(
+	mReadline,
+	"read_char",
+	readline_callback_read_char,
+	0
+    );
+    rb_define_singleton_method(
+	mReadline,
+	"handler_remove",
+	readline_callback_handler_remove,
+	0
+    );
+#endif
 
 #if USE_INSERT_IGNORE_ESCAPE
     CONST_ID(id_orig_prompt, "orig_prompt");
@@ -2098,3 +2252,4 @@ Init_readline(void)
  * indent-tabs-mode: nil
  * end:
  */
+/* vim: set ts=8 sw=4 noexpandtab: */
diff --git a/test/readline/test_readline.rb b/test/readline/test_readline.rb
index f50eafddf5..877e959fe1 100644
--- a/test/readline/test_readline.rb
+++ b/test/readline/test_readline.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,26 @@ def teardown
     SAVED_ENV.each_with_index {|k, i| ENV[k] = @saved_env[i] }
   end
 
+  def test_callback_interface
+    with_temp_stdio do |stdin, stdout|
+      stdin.write("hello\n")
+      stdin.close
+      stdout.flush
+      line = nil
+      replace_stdio(stdin.path, stdout.path) {
+        Readline.handler_install("> ", true) { |l| line = l if l }
+        6.times { Readline.read_char }
+        Readline.handler_remove
+      }
+      assert_equal("hello", line)
+      assert_equal(true, line.tainted?)
+      stdout.rewind
+      assert_equal("> ", stdout.read(2))
+      assert_equal(1, Readline::HISTORY.length)
+      assert_equal("hello", Readline::HISTORY[0])
+    end
+  end
+
   if !/EditLine/n.match(Readline::VERSION)
     def test_readline
       with_temp_stdio do |stdin, stdout|
@@ -618,3 +638,5 @@ def assert_under_utf8
     return true
   end
 end if defined?(::Readline)
+
+# vim: set nowrap tabstop=8 tw=0 sw=2 expandtab